Sunday is the grand opening date for La Jetée, a French bistro that James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Spike Gjerde is opening at Harbor Point.
Beatty Development Group, the master developer of Harbor Point, collaborated with Gjerde’s Ecco Restaurant Group to create the waterfront restaurant on the first level of the Canopy by Hilton Baltimore Harbor Point hotel, 1215 Wills St.
La Jetée replaces Cindy Lou’s Fish House, which opened in 2020 as a collaboration between Beatty and the Foreman Wolf restaurant group. After Foreman Wolf ended its involvement with the restaurant in August of 2024, Beatty and Donohoe Hospitality Services continued to operate Cindy Lou’s Fish House with the intention of taking it in a new direction in 2025.
Jetée is a French word that means ‘small pier’ or ‘jetty’ – a man-made structure that extends from a shore into the water to serve as a landing place for boats or a lookout point. Its origin is the Old French word jetee, or getee, which means ‘thrown out.’ “La Jetée” is also the title of one of Gjerde’s favorite sci-fi films, a 1962 black-and-white featurette that inspired director Terry Gilliam’s 1995 film, “12 Monkeys.”
In keeping with his longstanding approach of using locally-sourced ingredients, as shown at Woodberry Kitchen, Gjerde plans a menu that will highlight Chesapeake fish and shellfish along with fruits and vegetables purchased from local farms.
“Simple French Food by Richard Olney was the first cookbook I ever owned, and my cooking and obsession with local producers has always been rooted in that approach,” Gjerde said on Beatty’s website, harborpoint.com. “With La Jetée, I’m excited to build on that ethos by also focusing on the dishes, techniques, and flavors that have made the South of France a culinary reference point and destination for eons.”
This isn’t Gjerde’s first venture at Harbor Point, a 27-acre mixed-use community between Harbor East and Fells Point. He first worked with the Beatty team to explore ways to source local foods throughout Harbor Point. He and Corey Polyoka worked with Beatty to create Sandlot Baltimore, a seasonal beach bar and recreational area that opened in 2017 and has now been replaced by the 4.5 acre Point Park.
La Jetée will be an all-day restaurant, with offerings inspired by the culinary traditions and flavors of the South of France. According to the operators, the day will start with ‘savory galettes’ and ‘sweet crepes’ for breakfast. The lunch menu will feature baguette sandwiches such as ‘jamon beurre’ and the classic ‘salad Nicoise.’ Dinner options will include shellfish towers, ‘moules frites,’ and ‘lamb shoulder a la plancha’ served with ratatouille. The bar program will include classic French spirits like Pastis and Lillet and a curated wine list heavy on the rosés, whites, and reds for which Provence is famous.
Gjerde will turn 63 on Oct. 4. La Jetée is the first venture to come from the Ecco group, which will take Woodberry Kitchen’s pioneering approach to local food and apply it to global cuisines. Executive Chef Matt Audette and General Manager Virginia Allen will operate La Jetée with support from Ecco’s executive team.
“We’re excited to be working with Spike again here at Harbor Point,” said Beatty Principal Max Beatty, in a statement. “As always, he is bringing an energy, enthusiasm and creativity to his work and the Baltimore food world that is special to see — it’s been a pleasure to partner with him to bring the vision for La Jetée to life.”
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